


Wicked Games

by ForeverDelighted



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), The Forbidden Game - L. J. Smith
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Games, Lets play a game, Mind Games, Reylo - Freeform, a twisting delight of nightmares and frights, nightmares and fears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-12 05:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7921462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverDelighted/pseuds/ForeverDelighted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never play games with the Shadow Men.</p><p>Rey finds herself trapped in a game of nightmares, trying to save her friends and herself from The Shadow Man, Kylo Ren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Shadow Men

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to to try and write a realistic crossover between Star Wars and my favorite book series The Forbidden Game. This is a gift to the lovely reylo101 on tumblr :) xx
> 
> For anyone who hadn't read The Forbidden Game series, it's about a girl named Jenny who buys a game, but her and her friends get trapped within it. There they have to face their fears, brought to life by the Shadow Man, Julian, who is in love with Jenny and is trying to make her his. 
> 
> You don't have to have read the books to understand this fanfic, and none of the characters within The Forbidden Game will make an appearance here. I highly recommend the books though for anyone who likes reylo, it's right up our alley. xx
> 
> This fanfic takes place in an alternative universe if you will. Rey is still a scavenger on Jakku waiting for her family. This all happens when she's 19, so it takes place when Force Awakens would have happened. Kylo isn't with The First Order, instead he's a shadow man who's been locked away with the other Shadow Men by the Jedi. 
> 
> “There is a Shadow World, like our own but different, existing alongside ours but never touching. Some people call it the world of dreams, but it is as real as anything else.” (p.48) - Forbidden Game, The Hunter.

"What do you know about the Shadow Men?"

Lor San Tekka titled his head. With frail hands he passed a wooden cup to the young women sitting cross legged on the seat before him. Her voice was light, feigning a casual air. Slowly, she raised the cup filled with water to her lips, savoring the coolness running down her throat. The old man threw a few more blocks of wood onto the fire crackling between them. He reached for his own cup, taking a long sip before answering.

"The creatures that are said to dwell in the forbidden graveyard, passed the three sister dunes?"

The young women nodded, tucking a stray bang behind her ear.

"Why do you ask, Rey?"

"Curiosity," she replied quietly. "I've heard a lot of whispers over the years about them back at the Outpost. They say these shadow things, or whatever they are, guard a hoard of untouched ships."

"A bounty of unmarred ships just waiting for the plunder, a thought worthy of any scavenger taking a look at," Lor San Takka acknowledged, nodding his head. "But an unwise temptation to fall prey to."

Rey glanced up, and for a moment the old man caught a glimmer of panic in her hazel orbs.

"Is it... real? The graveyard I mean?" she asked, her voice sounding small.

There was something else, the way she said it, as if she already knew the answer. Lor San was quiet for a long moment as he pondered this, recalling the many times he had seen Rey when she was younger, slipping by the settlement of Tuanul, looking on edge as though feart that someone would see her. He had, though he had said nothing, not realizing where she had been going. But now that he knew, oh how wished he had stopped her.

He sighed, placing his cup beside his feet. "Yes, Rey. It is real."

"And the Shadow Men?"

"I'm afraid they are."

Rey's breath hitched, and she let out a long, quivering sigh. She nodded, sipping her drink.

"You think you've seen them, haven't you?" Lor San asked, leaning forward. "Rey-"

" _No_!" Rey snapped. She realized how harsh she sounded and took in a deep breath, shaking her head as a false, reassuring smile slipped onto her face. "No. Don't be silly. That would mean-"

"That you traveled between the three sister dunes seen from this villages edge, and wondered through the grey sands and fields of brittle bones. The forbidden path that leads to the graveyard of ships." Lor San finished for her.

There were not many rules here on Jakku. No law to speak of that could protect those who inhabited these lands from the cruelty of others, or their own foolishness. Those who lived here had to be strong, talented, skilled or have great allies to survive, using their own wits and smarts to stay alive. But there was one rule that all knew. One rule to protect you from a fate so cruel, that no one, no matter how evil, deserved.

The rule was simple.

Never, _ever_ stray further than the settlement of Tuanul. Do not pass between the three sister dunes seen from the villages edge, nor wander through the grey sands and fields of brittle bones. Do not be lured by the virgin graveyard of ships that lies beyond there, a treacherously tempting treasure cove for any scavenger. Do not be tempted for that which is yet to be collected, no matter how desperate and restless you may be.

The risk is not worth it for that is where... _they_ are said to live. A strange place where the veil is thinnest between their world and ours. There they lurk, creatures of rapturous beauty and bone quaking wickedness. They delight in their games. _Oh_ how they _delight_ in them. Any wretched soul they can snatch to ensnare in their games is doomed to fail. They are masters at their craft, having spent eons perfecting their skills. The greatest of sorrows to those who fall in their gaze.

Always, always, _always_ remember the rule. _Never_ , ever go to the forbidden ship graveyard… unless unimaginable suffering is what you crave.

 _They_   will be there.

And _they_ will be waiting.

"Rey," Lor San's voice was soft, like a father addressing a distressed child. Rey looked up, her eyes widened with fear. "Did you see them? The Shadow Men?"

Rey's lip quivered, "I don't know. I-"

When she didn't continued Lor San tried to encourage her, reaching over and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She made no move to speak, biting her lip as she stared at the ground, lost in thought. He did not want the girl to suffer anymore. Whatever she thought she saw at the graveyard had obviously spooked her. He'd noticed over the past few months, on the rare occasions he went to the Niima Trading Post and saw her, how she'd seemed jumpy and more alert, as though afraid something was going to leap out and snatch her at any moment. Despite being a creature who wore her heart on her sleeve, Rey was not known for showing her fear - a weakness - so openly when surrounded by others. It made sense now, her strange behavior.

"Rey, whatever you saw in the graveyard I do not wish you to dwell anymore on it. It was most likely nothing."

"But the Shadow Men! You said they were-"

He raised a hand, cutting her off.

"They are real, but the ones who stay there are trapped. The Jedi saw to that, long ago. They were imprisoned behind a symbol known as a rune, _Nauthiz_." Lar San drew a _X_ in the air, showing her the symbols shape. "These runes hold ancient power within them, more ancient than the Jedi or any civilization standing today."

Timidly, Rey copied the symbol Lor San had drew in the air. She whispered its name, her eyes fogged over. "What if... something were to happen to that symbol."

Lor San frowned.

"I saw... that symbol. I think," Rey murmured, thinking back to the rusted Imperial Light Cruiser, the first ship she had came across in the forbidden graveyard of ships.

She remembered the large hole in it, which she thought had been caused by some huge blaster canon back in its fighting days, perhaps the fatal blow that had sent the titan crashing to its sandy grave. The more she thought about it, the more she remembered the four large slashes that carried on from the hole. If hadn't been for the hole in the wall, those four slashes would have joined up to make... an X shape. 

"There's an Imperial Light Cruiser in the..." Rey's voice trailed off when she saw the frightened look in the old mans misty eyes. "Tell me that wasn't where they were-"

His weathered face held no secret to her answer. She knew it was. The ship she had so often clambered into in her youth and teen years was the place... the place were the monsters had been locked up. All those shadows whisking by at the corner of her eye. She felt her heart tightened with horror. Oh maker. Those things. Those Shadow Men. They were real and they had been _there_! Watching her. They could have... how many time could have she haven fallen prey to them? And no one would have noticed.

Why hadn't they though? From what she heard they never passed an opportunity to seize fresh prey. So why wasn't she added to their victim count? It raised more unsettling questions, making her feel a sickening twist in her stomach.

"What. Are. They?"

"They go by many names, changing from place to place, century to century. Some, as we do, called them The Shadow Men. Long ago they were once called the Boogeymen. Erlking. Fae. Demons. Many likened them to the personification of nightmares. No matter their name they were still the same. _Monsters_. Unforgiving, cruel beings basked in darkness, with not a flicker of Light within them."

A wind blew through the tent, sending a chill down Rey's spine. Lor San Takku went quiet for a moment, glancing outside his small tent and into the darkness, watching the twinkling stars above, listening in on his tale. His eyes drifted downwards, his gaze staring off to the dark edges of the village, in the direction where the graveyard lay in wait. Rey followed his stare, looking at the darkness. She felt unnerved looking out into the unending dark.

"They are said to be creatures of devastating beauty, a helpful trait to tempt you to them," Lor San continued. "They love to play games; twisted games that play on your emotions, drive you insane, leech on your fear. Sickening things that they are. They are the very essence of the dark side of The Force."

"The dark side," Rey whispered, shivering.

"Rey, never go back to that place. They are not of this realm but their world lives side to side with ours. They have very limited power over our world, contained as they are, but that does not mean they are completely powerless. That's probably how you were able to catch a glimpse of one, if that's what you saw. Is it?"

Rey closed her eyes. "I've been going there for years." Hunger having driven her there, hope at never feeling that pain of near starvation again. "Collecting what I needed, keeping it secret where I got it from. But I've always felt... like something was watching me. I always caught glimpses of shadows, but thought nothing of it. Truth be told I'd be going there so long I had forgotten all about the stories of... _them_. The Shadow Men. Until..."

She went quiet, opening her eyes.

"Until?"

"The creature in a mask."

Lor San's brow wrinkled.

Rey watched the fire burning before her, bathing her skin in a gentle warmth. She rubbed her arms, suddenly feel cold despite the fire and warmth within the cosy tent.

"It was only a few months ago. I was in one of the corridors of the Imperial Light Cruiser. I was so use to go going into it, I got cocky. I wasn't watching what I was doing." Rey sounded bitter, knowing she had messed up. Never lose concentration when scavenging, one slip up and that was it. Game over. "I forgot to pay attention to where I was stepping. Its a very old ship that has just been slowly disintegrating, being eaten away by the desert over the decades. The floor crumpled and I fell through."

She brought her cup to her lips but didn't sip, instead staring numbly at the flames.

"I would have fallen into an abyss, but I didn't. I must have fainted because I woke up outside the corridor with the destroyed floor. I hadn't fell through. Something... something had saved me. I don't know how. I don't why. I remembered pushing myself up from the ground, looking up into one of the dark corridors. My torch was lying beside me and it illuminated the darkness."

She remembered seeing it standing there, tall and menacing. It had been draped in black robes, a silver mask upon its face, partially hidden under a dark hood. She recalled how the breath had been stolen from her lungs, all the whispers of Shadow Men, demons, monsters and their wickedness and desire to toy with other creatures flooding her mind, sending her into a panic. She had known instantly that whatever was before her... it was the _they_ that everyone spoke of in hushed murmurs.

"I saw it and ran. Ran as fast as my legs would carry me."

It had been terrifying. Her legs had felt like lead, weighing her down, slowing her down. Her lungs had felt like they were on fire as she bolted and skidded down corridor after corridor, lost in the darkness, frantically searching for any escape. She'd heard it coming after, heavy boots stomping on metal and distorted breath emitted through some kind of modulator.

"Rey," Lor San said, taking her hand in his. "It is safer to avoid there, at all costs. Should the veil between their world and ours be pierced, should that rune be tarnished... then they will be able to come here to our world. Fully. And they will not be limited to the graveyard. They could come here, to any of the settlements or outposts."

Even her AT-AT wouldn't be safe from them.

Rey pulled her hands away, rising to her feet as she shook her head.

"It's too late." She thought of the huge gaping hole in the _X_ , the rune, _Nauthiz._ If that symbol had been etched onto the ships side to keep those monsters in, then the hole came after the wars. It was a new creation. One made by the ferocious winds, chiseling away at it, unwittingly freeing the monsters locked away inside. "There's a hole in the symbol! Doesn't that mean the rune's broken?"

"No. It must still be holding." Lor San rose to his feet, looking worried as he mulled over what he knew. "The creatures would not have wasted any time on unleashing their wrath upon everyone on this world, not after being locked away for so long without anything to entertain them. No, the symbol's power must still be in place."

"It wont hold forever. That holes been getting bigger and bigger every time I go back to that place," Rey muttered, shaking her head. "What will we do if it breaks? Locking them in a rusted old ship hardly seems like a permanent solution to the issue!"

"It was a temporary solution," Lor San admitted, walking over to the tents entrance, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Jedi were going to look for a way to permanently seal them away where they could do no harm, however... Order 66 prevented them from finishing their task."

Rey fell into silence. She knew of that order. The one that sealed the fate of all the Jedi in the galaxy. The tales were so old she always thought of them as legends. It was strange seeing the Jedi's past actions having an actual influence on her home. It made them feel... more real.

"There has to be something we can do," Rey snapped. "We can't just let those _monsters_ run free!"

"I agree. In a few days I will go there and try and fix the rune. I do not know much of them, but I must try."

Rey nodded, moving to retrieve her staff and backpack.

"The one I saw... it can't... get me... so long as I don't go back there, and so long as the rune is in place?" She whispered.

The sound of its modulated breath echoed in her ear. She shivered.

"Do not return there, and you should be fine, child." Lor San turned to her, giving her a gentle smile to try and reassure her. "All will be well. Force forbid, but should you ever encounter them again, know that there are rules they must abide by."

"Rules?"

"They cannot take that which is not willingly given. But they will try to trick you into giving that which you do no wish to give. They must play by rules that are set out before their games begin, but beware, they are masters at word play and always find loop holes and ways to twist what was said. Always make sure the rules are air tight."

Rey nodded, securing her scarf around her head.

"Thank you," Rey said, forcing a polite smile on her face. "And don't worry. I'm never going back there."

"Take care, child. And may The Force be with you."

Rey exited the tent, but before disappearing into the darkness she turned to the old man.

"And also with you."

* * *

Several days past before Rey was able to return to visit Lor San Takku, a dreadful sandstorm like none seen before having grounded everyone to the relative safety of their homes. No one was able to leave for three days. To Rey's dismay she discovered Lor San had left a day before the sandstorm had hit, stranding him in the desert, though where no one knew.

No one... but Rey.

Her heart sunk.

She knew where she had to go.

She had to go back... back to the forbidden graveyard where the Shadow Men lurked. Waiting. 


	2. The Oath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your comments, kudos, bookmarks in the last chapter :D xx
> 
> "What Oath?" Michael said warily.
> 
> "The Oath of the Game," Tom said. His voice was sinister. "It says here that we each have to swear that we're playing this game of our own free will, and that the game is real." 
> 
> \- The Forbidden Game, The Hunter, L.J Smith. Page 48

"Wait a minute! So you're telling me that you're going to the forbidden lands."

"Uh-huh."

"That are supposedly filled with some really scary monsters."

"Yipe."

"That are so terrifying that even _Unkar Plutt_ wont go there to get the bounty of ship parts that would set him up for life?"

"Mhmm."

Finn paused, eyes widening. He looked at Rey, then to a bewildered Poe leaning against the tents entrance. He shook his head in disbelief, throwing his arms up into the air. "Of course," he cried with fake cheer. 

Rey rolled her eyes, snatching a water canister from the floor and attaching it to her bag. She already tried explaining everything to them, well, most of the story with a few tweaks here and there. She had told them about the graveyard and its legends of the Shadow Men, neglecting to tell them that she'd been going there for years. She told them what Lar San Tekka had said, how the creatures had been sealed away and he was going to make sure they remained that way, keeping the occupants of Jakku safe. Both Finn and Poe had stole worried glances at each other the entire time as she recounted her tale. She knew they didn't believe her, the look on their faces like open holocrons.

"Rey look, you know we're your friends," Finn began, moving to block her from leaving the tent. "We've known each other for a long time now."

Five years she'd known them, ever since they'd both crash landed on Jakku. After hours of crawling through the desert, having nearly shriveled up from dehydration, their bodies badly injured from the crash and badly burned from the unforgiving sun, they'd stumbled upon her AT-AT. She'd found them there after she had returned from a scavenging hunt at the graveyard. Much to her horror they had used up many of her portions and water reserves. She hadn't reacted well to finding them having disturbed her dwellings or her supplies, and had, regrettably, chased them out, after having given both of them quite a severe walloping with her staff. It was only after they had explained their situation that she had relented, offering them a place to temporarily stay.

Despite his disdain for the planet, Finn had decided to stay on the planet for the time being, living in the Niima Outpost. Poe on the other hand had found a shuttle to take him off planet, but he often returned for a few weeks at a time to visit both Rey and Finn, making sure they had enough supplies and bringing them exotic gifts from other worlds. Rey had always been envious of Poe, getting to explore distant worlds across the galaxy. One day, when her family returned, that would be her. No star would be too far.

Finn placed his hands on her shoulders, his gentle squeeze bringing her back to the here and now. "And you know that as your friends, its our job to look out for you. We're worried. We're not saying you're lying, just that-"

"-You don't believe me." Rey finished for him with a glower. "I'm telling the truth. I don't care whether or not you believe me," though truthfully she did, it hurt knowing her friends didn't believe her, "I'm going to the graveyard and I'm going to find Lar San and bring him back safely."

"Rey, for all you know this guys just made all that stuff up! This could be some messed up trap to lure you there for Maker only knows what!"

"Look Rey," Poe chimed in, giving her a pitying look. "You can understand why we're hesitant to believe in all this. Finn's right. This could all just be some kind of ploy."

"It isn't!" 

It wasn't a ploy. Rey knew that these Shadow Men were real. She'd seen one. She just didn't want to tell them that. They'd be furious to learn that she had been going to the forbidden lands by herself, putting herself in danger and having lied to them about where she was going for years. She didn't want them to feel betrayed that she hadn't trusted them. She didn't want to lose them. 

"Whether you believe in the tales or not, I still need to go and find Lor San Takku. He's a frail old man and he's lost out there and may need help!" 

She couldn't help but feel partially responsible for the man. She should have accompanied him. He was an old man and the desert was not known for its mercy to the weak and vulnerable. She at the least could have kept him safe. For all she knew he may not have even made it to the graveyard before the storm hit. Not knowing his fate was like a heavy weight on her chest. She was never very close to him, but he was one of the few kind people on Jakku, a precious rarity who looked out for others, never wanting something in return. Good people like him did not deserve to perish in the desert. 

"Fine, but if you're going so am I," Finn grumbled, grabbing a backpack of his own and stuffing it with essentials. "I'm still not convinced this isn't some ruse, but I'm not letting you go out there without reinforcements." 

"Well looks like its decided," Poe sighed. "We can use my ship." He pulled on his coat, patting Rey on the shoulder as he made to leave the tent. "We'll get there quicker and can cover more ground that way, alright Kiddo. I'll go set her up. One thing though."

"What's that?" Rey asked.

"I could use a co-pilot," Poe grinned, giving her a wink. 

Rey couldn't help the smile that spread on her face. She loved flying. One of her favorite pass times was spending hours on end on her self-constructed flight simulator. And now she was getting the chance to help fly Poe's small fighter jet!

"Lets get going then," Finn smiled, patting Rey reassuringly on the shoulder as they followed Poe out the tent, towards the ship. "I'm sure BB-8 is getting bored of waiting." 

* * *

To anyone who came across the graveyard now, they wouldn't have thought anything strange of it. Rey, however, had been coming here for over a decade, and knew the lay out as well as the back of her hand. It was essential that she did, to ensure she wouldn't get lost. To her the difference in the landscape was shell shocking. The storm had taken a heavy toll, having tossed the ships all over the place and settling them in new resting places and positions, some having been devoured by the sand completely. Rey bit her lip, her eyes searching the dunes and shipwrecks tensely, looking for the Imperial Star Cruiser, the one that she was sure had had the rune carved into it. Relief sprouted in her chest when her eyes finally spied an all to familiar sight. The Imperial Cruiser, untouched by the storm and exactly where she'd last saw it.

"Over there!" Rey pointed off in the distance. "That's the ship we need to check first." 

They landed not far from the cruiser. Rey and Finn were first out the ship, Poe telling them to go ahead while he dealt with BB-8. Rey approached the cruiser, starring up at the tarnished metal. As it turned out the ship wasn't as unmarred by the storm as she had first thought. It had taken a devastating toll. The hole in the rune had now entirely consumed any trace of its existence. Rey felt her stomach churn. 

"The runes gone."

"And that's a bad thing?" Poe asked as he and BB-8 joined her and Finn.

"If there isn't a rune then there's nothing keeping these shadow things locked up," Finn explained. "Is that right, Rey?"

Rey nodded, biting her lip in concern. "Lets take a walk around the ship. Look for a symbol like this," Rey made an _X_ shape in the air. "Meet back up here."

Poe and BB-8 went left, while Rey and Finn went right. It took them an hour before they met up with each other again in front of the gaping hole. 

"We didn't find any symbols, did you?" 

"Nope. So what does that mean?"

"It means Lor San never managed to make a new rune to keep them in their world." Rey placed a hand on her head, trying to think of the best coarse of action. Lor San was the only one who knew anything about these runes. If they wanted to make sure that the Shadow Men were sealed away then they needed him to do it. "Right, we need to find Lor San. I think the best place to start searching is in the cruiser."

If Lor San had made it to the graveyard then this was where he would have headed.

They made their way into the cruiser, their footsteps echoing through the skeleton of a ship, accompanied by the sound of BB-8 rolling after them. The corridors were dark, the only light coming from each of their torch lights. The torches beams darted across the blackness, fleetingly gleaming of the durasteel walls and sand coated floor. 

As they walked through the lifeless corridors Rey couldn't knock the feeling that something was watching them. It sent a chill down her body. She normally felt at home in the wreckage of ships, having spent so much of her time within them. But being in here now, she couldn't help but feel odd. There was a tension hanging in the air, something that made her instincts want to flee in the opposite direction, to put as much distance between her and this place as possible. One glance at Poe and Finn told her she wasn't the only one picking up on the strange vibes the ship seemed to be emitting. Both men looked uncomfortable, their eyes watching the shadows suspiciously, as though they expected something to leap out at them any moment. Which, if the Shadow Men had gotten loose, may very well happen. 

"How about we try in there?" Finn said, pointing to a durasteel doors up ahead. 

As soon as everyone's eyes landed on the doors they parted with a _whooshing_ sound. Everyone jumped, including BB-8 who screeched to a halt. They all stared at the door, not daring to move an inch. 

"How does this ship still have power?" Poe panted, trying to calm down him hammering heart. 

"It-it doesn't," Rey murmured. She had seen this ships reactors, they had all been heavily damaged, probably during its last battle, and in no way were capable of powering anything, not even something as small as opening doors. 

Cautiously, they moved forward. Rey was first to enter the room.

They found themselves in an oval room with black, rusted walls. There was only one item within the dimly lit room and it has instantly caught the scavengers attention. It was a massive, circular holoprojector, that looked like a CS-Mark 12, but was about twice as large. The torch lights glimmered off the metal, highlighting various control buttons and blank screens.  Rey wondered over to it, her fingers brushing over the smooth, cold metal. It looked brand new, making it seem so out of place in the decrepit room and broken ship. 

"Do you know," Rey began slowly, emphasizing each word as she starred in awe, "how many portions that holoprojector would fetch me?" 

"Now isn't the time for this, Rey," Poe pointed out. 

"Sor Lan first. Holoprojector later. We can fit that in your ship, can't we?" It was more of a demand than a question.

Poe laughed, moving over to the machine. He frowned as he looked at the small platform surrounding the inside of the holoprojector. Sitting on it were two hand held holoprojectors. Curiously, he reached for one and picked it up, examining it in his hand.

Finn made his way over to Rey, eyes scanning the holoprojector curiously.

"Well if the doors work I wonder if this thing still does too?" Finn pondered, flicking a few dials and pushing several buttons. A moment later the room was lit up on an eerie blue glow, cast by the holoprojectors light. Aurebesh text appeared in the holoprojector. It read: 

_The Games Oath_

_To play the game and win the prize first you must swear the oath._

_Swear that you accept that the game is real. That you play of your own free will._

_In doing so you will enter the Shadow World._

_A dangerous realm, where shadows dwell._

_That you may not return from._

_So bid farewell._

 

At the end of the text was a large symbol, one like a _U_ , with the symbols tips titled downwards. 

"Well, that's weird," Finn commented, scowling at the bizarre message before casting a glance around the room. "Wonder what kind of game these guys were playing?" 

Another, softer blue light shone, catching Finn, Rey, and BB-8 attention. Poe had flicked on the hand held holopojector in his hand. A flickering image appeared, hovering above his hand. Rey froze. She knew the face in the image all to well. 

"That's-that's Teedo!" Rey gasped, starring at the image of the little, masked reptilian creature. "Why is there a holoprojector with him on it?" 

Rey glanced across the platform, noticing the other holoprojector. She snatched it up and switched it on. Her eyes widened, confusing dawning on her face. 

"Is that who I think it is?" Finn asked in surprise. 

Rey nodded. 

"Lor San Takku," Poe confirmed. "But, why? Rey did you know about these things?"

"I've investigated every part of this ship and never have I came across this room, never mind those holoprojectors. I have no idea why or how they got here."

Nervously she glanced around, wondering who or what had placed them here. Could it have been them? The Shadow Men? Rey glanced up at the glowing text hanging in the air.

_To play the game and win the prize..._

_Play the game..._

_Games..._

"They like to play games," Rey echoed Lor San Takku's words. 

"Games?" Poe frowned. 

"Rey, what are you talking about?" Finn asked. 

"What if... this is a game?" Rey said quietly. Her fingers trailed along the holoprojector as she slowly walked around it. "The message spoke of a prize. What if that prize is Lar San Takku? They might have already gotten to him." 

She didn't want that to be true, but the feeling in the pit of her gut told her otherwise. Maybe they were the ones who had made the holoprojectors, a sick way to flaunt what they had captured, to lure them into their clutches.

Finn winced, scratching the back of his head. "Rey, come on. You know how weird this all sounds, right?" 

"I think you've been out in the sun to long, Rey. Either that or those tall tales are getting to you. The Shadows Guys are probably just some cover up story, something to keep everyone away from here while something else is going on," Poe reasoned. 

"It's not some cover up story! The Shadow Men are real!" Rey hissed. 

"Right, lets try this."

"What?" Poe whirled to face Finn. "Are you serious? You're going along with this?" 

Finn held his hands up in a calming manner. "Lets just try this. What's the worse that could happen? If it doesn't work then we'll leave, alright Rey?" 

Reluctantly Rey nodded, though she had no intention of leaving until she found Lor San. They could leave if they wanted to. 

Finn read the message flickering in the air again. He looked a little uncertain, like he wasn't sure what to do. He shrugged as he spoke, "I swear?" 

A few moments passed in silence, everyone holding their breath. Then... nothing happened. Rey frowned. No, something _had_ to happen. She could feel it in the air, a strange tingling sensation like electricity tickling at her senses. Something was going to happen, she just didn't know what. But after a few more moments of nothing, she felt herself deflate. Had she been wrong? 

Finn looked over to a smug looking Poe, then shrugged. "Sorry Rey, lets just-"

A burst of light caught everyone's attention. They looked up at the message, the _U_ shape at the end had changed color, and was glowing red. Rey had never seen such vivid coloring in a holographic image before. She stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at the red shape. No, this wasn't just some random shape or initial. What if it was a It was a symbol, a rune! But if it was a rune then what did it do? It suddenly stopped glowing. 

Uh oh. 

BB-8 let out a low, frightened beep, his head shaking around nervously. 

"I have a bad feeling about this," Finn muttered. 

Rey had the exact same feeling. A shiver ran down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but it felt as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. 

"Well, that was strange," Poe commented, shrugging when nothing else happened. 

"I think... we _all_ need to swear to it," Rey mumbled.

She really didn't want to, she didn't want to mess with any of this. But if Lor San was trapped in one of the Shadow Men's games then she had to do it. She had to get him back. He was also the only one who had any inkling of how to seal them away. If they had caught him and dragged him into a game then that meant they were loose, and it was only a matter of time before they moved on to other victims. Jakku may be filled with some of the most vilest scum in all the galaxy, but there was innocent creatures here to. 

"This is silly."

"You believe in the Force Poe, but can't entertain the idea there might be, what, Shadow Men?" Finn pointed out, crossing his arms. "Look I'm not saying this is all real, and I'm not saying I believe it either, but we agreed to give it a chance and if it doesn't work we'll leave. Besides, it looks like we might be onto something. You saw that marking glow." 

"Meh," Poe said with a shrug. "Special effects. It's probably hard wired to glow on a specific voice command." 

"Poe, just swear to the oath already. I do _not_ want to be here longer than is necessary." 

"Alright, fine. I swear." 

BB-8 beeped an affirmative, swearing his oath to. 

The symbol shone red twice, each glow lasting only for a moment. Everyone turned to Rey, waiting. The scavenger girl's eyes lingered at the surrounding darkness at the edges and corners of the room. She frowned. Had it always been so dark in this room? Or was it getting darker? She moved her gaze away from the suffocating darkness, back to the message. She took in a deep breath. 

"I... swear," Rey whispered. 

This time when the rune glowed its blood red light engulfed the entire room, blinding everyone. Rey shielded her eyes, letting out a gasp. She cried out, reaching for someone, anyone! Finally the light receded and Rey could see again. To her shock she found herself in an entirely different room.

"What the-" Rey muttered, swirling around. 

She found herself in a large, dark control room. It was scarcely lit by the ominous red glow from the ships back up lights, that gave the room an eerie, other worldly feel about it. If Rey wasn't so disorientated she may have paused to wonder how everything, from the lights to the dozens of control panels dotted around the room, seemed to be in perfect working order, or why none of the walls were rusted, or why the floors weren't covered in sand and debris.

"Where are we?" Rey whispered. When she received no reply her began frantically scanning the room, looking for her companions. To her mounting horror, she realized they weren't here. She was alone. Completely and utterly alone. 

 _Don't panic,_ Rey thought, trying to swallow the bubbling hysteria threatening to break free. _Just breath and figure out what's going on._

A ghostly blue light caught her attention. Looking at the center of the room she saw the holoprojector from the last room had somehow ended up here as well, and it was switched on. The message was gone, replaced by the gritty image of an Imperial Light Cruiser, much like the one they had entered. Sitting on the edges of the holoprojectors were the mini hand held ones, only now there were four more. Cautiously, Rey approached them, her hand trembling as she reached for them. She flicked the first one on.

"Finn."

And then the second one. 

"Poe."

And the third.

"BB-8."

She paused at the last one, already knowing whose face she would see. With an echoing click she turned it on.

"Me." 

Rey stumbled backwards, the device clattering loudly on the floor after she dropped it. She looked away, trying to understand how and why they were there. That's when she saw it. The view port that spanned across an entire wall. Rey felt her legs falter and she almost collapsed to her knees. She didn't see the desert plains of Jakku outside, nor a graveyard of ships. No, all she saw was a vast expanse of darkness and gleaming stars twinkling at her. But that meant-

Rey bolted to the view point, hands pressed up against it. 

"No." 

She was off planet. This ship was off planet! But how? Then she noticed, with a sickening throb, that this ship was moving, and it was taking her further and further away from the sandy orb that was Jakku. As the ship crept further and further away, Rey felt her heart thump harder in her chest. Her hands began to tremble and her throat went dry. No! No! _No_! She _couldn't_ leave Jakku! She had to get back! She had to get back, _now_! Her family...

Slow, echoing footsteps alerted her to someone else's presence in the room. She spun around and had to slap a hand across her mouth to stop the scream that threatened to break free. Standing a few feet away from her, dressed in the same dark, hooded robes, wearing the same terrifying, metallic mask, was the creature that had chased her. Its hands were clasped behind its back, and it seemed to be looking at her, its head titled curiously. It stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity, and when Rey could bare it no longer she finally worked up the courage to speak. 

"Where am I?" Rey asked, ashamed of the shiver in her voice. 

When it spoke, it spoke through a modulator, warping its voice. It was a terrifying sound. 

"You're my guest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Fobidden Game by L.J Smith, References
> 
> The Games Oath - Pages 48-49  
> The U rune, Uruz - Page 203, first appears page 48. (A rune that allows the veils between worlds to be pierced.)


	3. The Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "That's all," he said. "Let the Game begin. By the way, if you get hurt in these nightmares, you get hurt for real. If you die, you die. And I can tell you right off that one of your probably wont make it." Julian, The Forbidden Game, The Hunter, by L.J Smith. Page 71

"You're my guest."

Rey was too caught in awe to properly hear what the creature had said. She was aware she was blantingly starring, but she couldn't help it. Right in front of her was a living legend, a whispered rumor spoken with great caution. A Shadow Man. A monster. Absentmindedly she wondered if this really was the same one she had encountered before. It had been so dark in the corridor that day, and she had be in such a state of fright she couldn't be sure. For all she knew this could be a different Shadow Man, perhaps they all dressed the same?

"Where are the others?" Rey asked when the silence became to much, trying to sound as brave as she wished she felt. 

The creature straightened, its body becoming rigid. 

"You mean the murders, traitors and thieves you call friends?" 

Rey blinked, startled. Maker, what was it on about? _Murders? Traitors? Thieves?_ Surely it wasn't referring to Finn and Poe? Rey felt herself bristle at the thought, the instinctive urge to defend her friends honor giving her a boost of courage to stand tall. She glared at the creature through narrowed eyes. 

"You don't know _anything_ about my friends, so keep your nonsense accusations to yourself." 

"Don't I?"

Rey frowned, unsure of what to make of that question. 

The creature slowly began moving forward, the red lights above it fading off one by one as it walked under them, a curtain of darkness falling closed behind it. Rey took a step back, keeping herself as far into the light and far away from the creature as she could. Her back bumped against the view port, leaving her no where to go. At the corner of her eye she noticed the holoprojector had flickered off. 

"You know why you're here, don't you?" The creature asked, stopping a few feet away, leaving them both standing in a suffocating halo of red light, surrounded by darkness.

Rey shook her head, not wanting to speak as she felt fear chisel away at her courage again.

"Yes you do," the masked creature tsked. "You agreed to play the game, now here you are."

"And where exactly is here?" 

The creature opened his arms wide, its voice sounding chilling as it spoke. "The Shadow Realm."

Rey's eye involuntarily glanced to the view port, focusing on the planet below. She wondered if that really was Jakku, or just another desert planet. If this was the Shadow Realm then it had to be. Rey felt a sickening twist in her stomach. How far away from Jakku where they?Rey shook her head, taking in a deep breath. She had to get back there, and she had a feeling the only way to do that - was to play the game.  

"What kind of game are we playing?" Rey asked quietly. 

"A simple game really, one you use to play as a child. A game of hide and seek." 

"Hide and seek?" Rey said in disbelief, quirking an eyebrow. That was a younglings game. "Are you serious?" 

"Deadly," the masked monster replied. "All you have to do is make your way through the ship and find your friends." 

That was it? Rey frowned. It sounded too easy. There had to be a catch. There had to be. These things, these Shadow Men, didn't earn their notorious reputation by playing such simple and easy games. There _had_ to be something else.  

"However," it began, and Rey could hear the sinister smirk in its voice as it added the catch she had been waiting for. "In order to free each of your so called _friends_ ," the word was spat out like venom, "they'll each have to get through the... bonus round if you will. Each will have to face their worst nightmare, and if they can't conquer it-"

He trailed off into silence.

"Then?" she promoted, her voice soft. 

"Game over. If you're hurt or killed in this game then you die for real, no second chances, no resets, nothing. Remember that." The creature looked directly at her. "Find the other players and bring them back here, and you can all go back to that desolate wasteland you call home." 

Rey bit her lip, absorbing the information. She hadn't really known what to expect when they had decided to enter the Shadow Men's game, but she had known it would be dangerous. She was terrified of what was going to happen when she started playing, but danger was something she was use to. Every day on Jakku was a life or death struggle, this game would be no different from that. She was a survivalist, and she would make it through this, with everyone.

"Does that include Lor San Takku? You do have him, don't you?" 

"Yes, I do. He's here somewhere, hidden. If you can find him and get him back here then you can have him." 

"What about Teedo? Is here as well?" Rey ventured.

"Yes."

That explained why there was a holoprojector of him, along with Lor San Takku's. The horrid little lizard must have came snooping here. 

"Is there anything else I should know before I get started?" If she was really going along with this ridiculous game then she wanted to know all the rules. Lor San had mentioned how tricky these creatures were, how they were masters at their craft and manipulating situations to their favor, but they still had to play by a set of rules.

_They must play by rules that are set out before their games...Always make sure the rules are air tight._

"There is a time limit."

_Of course there would be_ , Rey inwardly groaned. "How long?"

Suddenly, the creature was gone, the light above it flicking off. Rey gasped. Where had it-she heard it's modulated breath by her right ear. Rey screamed, spinning around to find it standing beside her, barely an inch between them. It stood about six foot tall, forcing Rey to strain her neck to look up at. From this close she could make out the slight scarring on its masks and the fine stitching on its rich, heavy garments.

Rey took a step backwards. She was about to put more distance between them when more lights went out, leaving the pair in an even tighter circle of light. She froze, not daring to leave the false sense of safety the light gave her. The shadows was _their_  territory. 

The Shadow man turned to face the view port. 

"You have until this ship make one full cycle around the planet. With the current speed of the ship, that gives you approximately twelves hours." The creature turned and pointed to the holoprojector across the room. The machine sprung to life in a flicker of blue. The image of the Imperial Cruiser came up, only smaller. Now it was hovering in the atmosphere of a planet that looked like Jakku. "You'll hear the sound of a bell throughout the game, a friendly reminder that you're on borrowed time." 

_Twelve hours. Six nightmares. Five people. One ship. I can do this._

"You know you don't have to play if you don't want to," The creature spoke softly. 

Rey turned to face it, confused. "So you'll let us all go, without playing your game?" 

The creature laughed, "I didn't say that, merely that _you_ don't have to play. It really wont make any difference, you wont make it through the game, no one does. It's a win win for me regardless."

_Win win? What does he mean by that?_

"And what exactly do you win?" 

He looked directly at her, and despite the mask, she could feel its eyes on her like a heavy weight. She wanted to back away, but couldn't, her back pressed up as far back as it could against the view port. At either side of her the lights were still out, and she had no desire to launch herself into the darkness. She didn't know if she was imagining it or not, but she swore there was something there, lingering in the darkness, scurrying about, watching her. 

"Every game has its prize." 

Not really an answer to her question, but she had terrible feeling that she didn't want to know _what_ that prize was. 

"Well whatever that prize is, it doesn't matter. You're not going to win. I'll find everyone and bring them back here, safely, and before the time is up," Rey said, lifting her chin definitely. 

"We'll see." 

In a blinding flare all the lights switched on, casting the room in an eerie blood red glow. Rey winced, shielding her eyes while they adjusted. When she opened them, the creature was gone. Rey let out a long breath, thankful for its disappearance. She never wanted to get that close to it again. 

She heard a strung out chime coming from somewhere. She supposed that meant the game had begun. Steeling her nerves Rey headed for the only door in the room. It _swooshed_ open, revealing a drastically different corridor than what she had been expecting. The corridor was completely white, so much so it was almost painful on the eyes, especially after having just came out such a dully lit room. Cautiously, Rey made her way down it, pondering over her encounter with the creature as she did.

_Each will have to face their worst nightmare..._

Rey wasn't sure what that meant, if she was meant to take it literally. Did the Shadow Man mean they were going to have their worse fears brought to life? She wondered what the others fears would be, if they even had any. Poe and Finn were two of the bravest people she knew, what could scare them? It also rose the question of what would her fear be? The Shadow Man only had twelve hours, there was no way it could bring about her fear of starvation... could it? 

"Kriff!" 

Rey paused. That sounded like-

"This is so _not_ my day!" 

Poe! That was Poe! Rey bolted down the corridor, following the voice and shouting after it. She skidded around a corridor, relief flooding her systems. She didn't give the pilot a chance to register her appearance, instead flinging herself at him and gripping him in a tight embrace. 

"Rey! I am so glad to see you!" Poe grinned, awkwardly hugging her back with one arm. "Don't suppose you could help a guy out?"

Rey took a step back, finally noticing the mans predicament. His arm was jammed inside some kind of vent, the small door groaning as it tired to close down on his limb. She let out a startled _oh_ , before grabbing hold of him and trying to yank him free, but to no avail. She instead tried to shove the door up, straining with all her might. 

"How did you... manage to... get... stuck.... like this!" Rey panted, struggling to lift the door. 

"Don't ask," Poe muttered, letting out a pained grunt as he pulled his arm. "It's no good. Owe! This thing is gonna leave a bruise!"

Poe let out a curse, ceasing his attempts to free him arm as Rey struggled in vain. 

"So do you know what happened back there, because I don't? One second we're in that holoprojector room, then the next thing everyone's disappeared and we're on some other ship!"

Rey stopped her struggles, falling into silence. She bit her lip, not sure where to begin. She told Poe everything that had happened in the control room she had found herself in, and what the creature in a mask had told her. Poe watched her intently as she told her story. 

"Alright," Poe finally said after a few moments quiet. "I'm not really sure I'm buying all this, but I'll go along with it for now. Though I am pretty much convinced that this is either a hallucination or I'm dreaming." 

Rey wasn't surprised to hear that. In all honesty she wasn't quite convinced any of this was real either anymore. Believing in Shadow Men was one thing, but to find herself actually in their world, entangled in one of their games? It just seemed to surreal to wrap her head around. Perhaps this was all a lucid nightmare, and any minute she would wake up. 

"What is your fear, Poe?" 

He glanced away looking a bit sheepish. He was about to answer when the door made a grinding noise. "Oh wait! Maybe that's it lifting!" 

They both began tugging, pulling with every ounce of strength they had. With a hiss the door shot up, sending Rey and Poe flying backwards. Rey smashed against the wall, wincing when she heard a loud crashing sound beside her. She turned to see if Poe was alright, but to her horror he wasn't there. Panicked, she scrambled to her feet, only to find Poe had shattered through a large air vent. Upon closer inspection she could see why he had fallen through, the air vent cover was rusted and warped, paint having flecked off it. It was only a matter of time before it would have crumbled away.

"Poe! Poe are you alright?" Rey shouted down, her voice echoing down into the dark shoot. When no reply came she cursed under her breath, already knowing what she had to do. "Oh this is not going to end well." 

Careful to avoid the jagged remains of the vent cover, Rey lowered herself into the shoot. She held her breath and pushed herself down. A scream escaped her as she fell rapidly down an almost straight drop. When she finally came out the shoot, she landed in a reasonably soft pile of debris. A rotten smell hit her, making her feel nauseous. Rey scrunched up her nose, letting out a disgusted sound as she stood up. She glanced around, instantly regretting jumping down the shoot. 

"We're in a-"

"Trash compactor," Poe cut in.

Rey looked down, noticing him standing on a lower down pile of trash. His face looked pale and his eyes were widened. She was ready to ask him if he was injured but he started talking, his voice small and void of emotion. It took her a moment to realize why he sounded like that. He was scared. 

"You asked me what my fear was. Well... I was never to fond of the idea of getting crushed to death in one of these things."

There was a deafening crackle and groan. Rey jumped, looking around in panic. Her heart leapt to her throat.

The walls were closing in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Forbidden Games: The Hunter, References. 
> 
> "Every game has its prize." - page 62  
> Hurt or killed in game, then it happens in real life. - page 71  
> The bell chiming. - page 72
> 
> The game is inspired by the first game in the book. Jenny has to make her way through a paper house brought to life, find her friends and each of them have to conquer their worst fear. They then have to make it to the top of the house to the door that leads to their world, before the sun rises. 
> 
> I really wanted to unmask Kylo and have him tell Rey his name here, but I decided against it as I'd already used a few lines from their first meeting in this scene, and didn't want to make it too similar to their first meeting in the Force Awakens. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think or any theories you have. I'd love to hear them! :) xx


	4. The Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And if you don't get there, then I win. And you stay here, with me."
> 
> "What do you mean - with you?" Jenny said sharply, jerked out of her courtesy. 
> 
> He smiled. "I mean that you stay in this place, in my world. With me - as mine." 
> 
> The Forbidden Games, The Hunter, Page 66.

 "Of all the things you could be scared of, how in the Makers name did you come up with this scenario?" 

Rey scrambled over piles of trash, stumbling her way over to the walls. She pushed against them, trying to stop them. It quickly proved pointless and she began frantically digging through the garbage, looking for something to lodge between the two walls. It might not stop them completely but at the very least it could slow them down. 

"Poe! Find something to-" 

Rey looked over to Poe, finding the pilot frozen in the spot she had first found him in. He stood there wide eyed, his chest heaving and body trembling. Rey felt a swell of fear trickle through her, she had never seen Poe look so terrified. Poe was always brave and headstrong. He was an experienced pilot in the Resistance and had been in far worse situations than this. So many of the adventures he would share with her and Finn by fireside were filled with danger, near death, and hardships, yet no matter the odds he always made it out. 

_As long as there's Light, there's still hope_ , he would always say when his tales reached their climax when it seemed all was almost lost. 

To see him so fear struck, brave and daring Poe, who risked his life countless times for his comrades and friends, made Rey falter. The look on his face was one of pure terror, mixed with a sad resignation, as though he didn't think there was any way out of this, as if this was it he was going to die. 

"Poe! Please!" Rey hated how desperate her voice sounded, how scared she sounded. "I need your help!" 

He didn't move, just stared at the approaching wall. 

"Poe! Don't just stand there! We need to try and find a way out of here!"

Rey trudged her way over to him, fighting her way through all sorts of garbage. Metal and sharp edges scrapped against her, ripping her clothes and skin, causing her to hiss and wince. She grabbed Poe by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Poe! You've been in worse situations than this! Snap out of it! You can beat this nightmare!" 

_Nightmare_. 

Rey blinked. If this was a nightmare, then maybe it wasn't real? This could all be in Poe's head. If he could just snap out of it maybe he could break them free of this nightmare! 

"Poe, this isn't real! It's just a nightmare!"

Rey had to shout at the top of her voice to be heard over the sound of screeching and crunching debris. The piles of rubbish were being squeezed together, being pushed higher into the air. Junk cluttered down heaps of metal and other garbage, falling all around them. Rey could barely stand to look at the walls, they were getting so close. A few more minutes and they would be goners. 

"Poe! please, listen!" She shook him more violently. "Poe!"

A large dura-steel pole was pushed into her arm, slicing skin and drawing blood. Rey screamed, releasing Poe as she stumbled backwards. Her cry knocked Poe from his shell-shocked trance. He blinked rapidly, taking in everything before his eyes fell on Rey. He stumbled over to her, helping her to her feet. 

"Rey! I'm sorry I-"

"It's fine, Poe." Rey gripped her wounded arm and awkwardly began moving up a rubbish pile to escape being crushed in the centre of the room. "Poe, I think this is just a dream. A nightmare. It isn't real. If you-"

"Rey, you're bleeding! I don't think this is just a dream," Poe shouted over the increasing sound of grinding metal and gears. "We're done for! This is worse than Leia described."

"Leia? As in Princess Leia?"

"She prefers General now." 

Poe dug out a large pole from the clusters of rubbish, and with Rey's help, they tried to jamming it between the walls. It instantly began to bend and crack under the stress. 

"What has she got to do with this?" Rey grunted, shoving away rubbish that was getting too close to her. 

"She told me a story of a time when she got stuck in one of these things and nearly got crushed. The thought just- It scared me!" 

She knew it must have taken a lot for him to say that. Not many people were fond of revealing their fears, seeing it as a weakness.

"How did she escape?" 

"Luke Skywalker, he-"

"Luke Skywalker? I thought he was a myth?"

"He's as real as you and me, though this is not really the time for that talk! Luke contacted his R2-D2 unit. He- wait a minute!"

Poe floundered about as he patted down his jacket. "Where is it? Where is- Ah ha!" He pulled out a small communicator. "BB-8! We need your help! Rey and I are stuck in the trash compactor! We need you to try and disable it!"

Rey felt her heart sink when no reply came. Junk was pushing into her chest and she had nowhere to go to escape it. Her back was now pushed further against the wall and her legs had become pinned. She couldn't see Poe anymore, rubbish having closed the gap between the two of them. She could still hear him shouting desperately into the communicator, his voice rising with each failed answer from BB-8, becoming more and more shrill. 

_This is it_ , Rey thought grimly.  

Tears trickled down her face as cold and sharp objects were pushed painfully into her. She could no longer move any of her body, the unbearable weight of all the junk restricting her movements and even her breathing, the junk slowly suffocating her. No longer could she hear Poe over the noise of crushing debris, shrieking loudly in her ears. She could feel herself panicking, her heart throbbing and breath hitching. 

What a terrible and agonisingly slow death this would be. No one would know what had happened to her or her friends. No one bar her family would care. They would arrive on Jakku, wondering why she wasn't there, why she had not waited for them. The thought was torturous. They would think she had abandoned them, forgotten them. Never knowing that they were her last thoughts.

_I'm sorry..._

Suddenly all the noise stopped, the approaching walls having come to a grinding halt. Rey gasped as the walls began to retreat, the junk falling away from her and allowing her to move, to breath. To the side of her, she could once again see Poe. He was resting up against the wall, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his brow. 

"That... was a close one," he panted. 

Rey nodded, slipping down the wall.

A swooshing sound drew their attention to the other side of the room. A door had opened, revealing BB-8. The little droid chirped excitedly to see them, his body rolling as close to the edge of the room as he could without falling into the garbage stuffed room. 

"You got our call!" Poe beamed. "Knew I could count on your Buddy! Don't know about you Rey, but I'm getting out of here." 

"I second that."

They scrambled over the levelling out junk and bolted into the sterile white corridor where BB-8 waited for them. They collapsed onto the floor, both leaning against the walls as they tried to catch their breaths. Rey glanced over their bodies, wincing at their dirty, ripped and slightly bloody clothes. They would definitely be sporting a fair few bruises, cuts and scraps from this charming little experience. 

The door to the trash compactor room slid shut. 

_Good_ riddance, Rey thought, scowling at the door. 

"Your fear... is getting crushed... in a trash compactor?" Rey panted. 

Poe nodded. 

"Prin- General Leia told me the story when I was a kid. She had been captured by the Empire when Luke Skywalker and Han Solo came to the rescue. They ended up in a trash compactor and barely got out thanks to Luke communicating with his R2-D2 droid. The thought of being crushed to death it- It didn't settle well with me. I've always been slightly jittery around garbage shoots since I heard that story. I was always scared I'd fall in and well... there would be no one around to save me. It's a ridiculous fear, I know. I've never told anyone about it. " 

Rey didn't think it was silly. Perhaps if he had told her that fear before today she would have sniggered and joked with Finn about it, gave the pilot quite the teasing. But after having lived through it, she could understand why such a thought was terrifying. Most would have brushed it off as something that could never happen. Poe, however, had met people who had lived through it, so to him, it was a plausibility.  

A loud bell chime echoed throughout the corridor. 

"One hour's up," Rey whispered. "We need to start looking for the others. We have eleven hours left and already we've got three of us together."

"Right, so we need to find the others, get back to the control room, and that's it," Poe said, getting to his feet before offering Rey a hand. "Easy."

"And get through everyone else's nightmares," Rey added sourly. She was not looking forward to that, not now that she had experienced one.

Poe gave her a disgruntled look. He didn't look eager to go through those either. 

The trio made their way down the corridor. The light was harsh on Rey and Poe's eyes, especially since they had just come from such a dimly lit room as the trash compactor. As they walked, Rey noticed Poe was limping slightly, favouring his right leg. He told her during all the commotion in his nightmare his leg had gotten lodged awkwardly between some junk. 

"So where did you disappear to after we swore the games oath, BB-8?" Rey asked, wanting to fill the silence with something other than her and Poe's tired breathing. 

BB-8 explained that he had appeared outside the trash compactor door. He had searched up and down the corridor, which to his dismay contained no other doors. He eventually gave up and returned to the only door, the one that led to the trash compactor. It was shortly afterwards that he had received the call from Poe. 

"I feel like we're getting nowhere," Poe sighed. 

BB-8 beeped sadly in agreement. 

"Let's do another sweep of the floor. To save time you go back the way we came and I'll check up ahead. If we find anything or anyone we'll met up back here," Rey said, already making her way down the corridor. 

Poe nodded and headed off. BB-8 stayed where he was for a moment longer, his head swirling around to look to Rey then Poe, then back again. He let out some beeps and whoots, declaring his opposition to the splitting up idea. Either his protests were ignored or unheard. With a long dejected sigh, he rolled after Poe, muttering in beeps about no one ever listening to him.

Rey had been wondering down the corridor for only a few seconds when she found a door. She was certain it hadn't been there on their first sweep of the corridor. Cautiously, she approached it. The door slid open, and a cool breeze rolled in. What Rey saw made her mouth drop open. 

The door didn't lead to a room, it led straight into another world. Rey gasped and in an awestruck trance, her feet brought her further and further into this breathtaking new world. She didn't even notice the door swoosh shut, sealing her in. 

_I didn't know there was so much green in the entire galaxy._

This world was filled with so much green she could hardly believe it. As far as she could see, a blanket of trees covered the mountainous landscape, lying under a radiant and bright blue, cloudless sky. The forest was beautiful, and she couldn't stop herself walking down the small slope and entering. She gazed up wondrously at the forest canopy, looking at the fanned out tree branches. Patches of flickering sunlight filtered through the swaying leaves, covering her in light and shadows. She looked down at the grass and smiled at the crunching sound it made as she walked over it. It was so much softer to walk on than the sand, metal and stone she was used to. 

Green above her, green below her, green all around her. If she could she would have stayed here forever, simply basking in the luscious green trees, grass and shrubbery, enjoying the gentle breeze cooling her skin and tickling her neck. 

"Do you like it?" 

Startled, Rey spun around, surprised to find the creature with it's silver and black mask leaning against a tree, not too far away. Even in such a bright and peaceful setting, and despite its relaxed stance, the creature still looked dark, imposing and frightening. Shadows seemed to cling to it, light shying away. Rey felt rather silly then, her mind coming out of its spellbound daze. The game, her friends, the Shadow Men. How could she have forgotten for even a moment? She cursed herself for her folly. 

"Like what? Your monstrous game or the forest?" Rey asked bitterly. 

She was tempted to lash out at it, to charge for it and see if she could end this all right here right now. She had gotten into many fights in her time on Jakku and had learned how to defend herself well. She was brutal and unforgiving in fights, no tactic too dirty to resort to. The thrashing she'd give this Shadow Man would be well deserved after what it had put her and Poe through, what is was threatening to put all them through. 

Her survival instincts cautioned against such action. She didn't know the full extent of a Shadow Men's powers, and with such fearsome reputations, she doubted she'd be able to get near him without him unleashing whatever strange magic he possessed. If he was able to take her and her friends to another realm and put them through their worse nightmares, then stars only knows what else he was capable of. Right now, her best option was to play along. 

The creature tilted its head. "I was speaking of the forest." 

"Yes. It's Beautiful," Rey murmured. How long had that creature been standing there, watching her? 

The creature nodded its head, seemingly satisfied with her response. "I knew you would." 

She was tempted to snap at it, asking how it could know such a thing when it knew nothing of her. She decided against it, instead, she asked a different question. 

"Where am I?" 

"It is and it isn't Takodana, a planet which is in the Western Reaches of the Galaxy." The Shadow Man explained. "Don't be mistaken. You are still in the Shadow Realm." 

"Why am I here? Is this where I'm going to face my nightmare?" Rey couldn't imagine it was. This place was like a paradise. 

"Oh no, your nightmare lies nearer the end of the game. Though you shouldn't worry about it, you won't get that far." The creature said with a slight shrug of its shoulders. 

Rey narrowed her eyes, seething at the comment. _Arrogant nerf herder._

The Shadow Man pushed himself from the tree and moved towards her. Rey instantly moved away and both found themselves slowly circling one another. Eerily, the tree branches high above them seemed to move in just the right way so that the creature was always shaded in more shadows compared to where she walked, where mostly light spilled onto the ground. The wind began blowing a little harsher, whistling through the trees like some fading ghoulish sigh. 

"I can assure you that I will win this game, and everyone is coming with me," Rey said, raising her chin. "Now, if this isn't my nightmare then why am I here? And how do I get back to the ship? I can't play the game if I'm not there."

"I wanted to see you," it said, it's voice sounding soft despite its modulator. 

"Why?"

"To offer you a proposition."

That sounded like a trap if she had ever heard one. 

"And what would that be? Are you going to let us all go?" Rey asked sweetly. 

The creature chuckled. "Now why would I let you go? So you and the old man can conspire to lock me and my Elders into another shipwreck?" 

Rey swallowed, her stomach churning. For the creature to know that she was actively trying to thwart it, in a way that had nothing to do with the game, was unnerving. She had walked right into its clutches, into its world, where it made the rules and held all the power. Now that it knew what she and Lor San Takku were trying to stop it, it could very easily strike out against them and make them regret ever having thought of such a thing. 

All of a sudden, the forest seemed much, much darker. 

"What do you expect us to do? If you and your kind are free you'll destroy everything," Rey whispered. 

"And what do you know about me or my kind?" The Shadow Man titled his head. "All you know of us is idle gossip. Small truths wrapped in centuries of refashioned myths. Simple ignorances are easily remedied. If you let me, I can show you the ways of my kind, help you to understand us. You might even find you enjoy our ways." 

Rey shivered at the thought. 

"Listen here, Creature, I want nothing to do with you or the other Shadow Men. So far you're living up to the legends." 

_Monsters_ , she wanted to hiss. 

"Creature?" The Shadow Man titled his head. "I'd prefer it if you called me Kylo." 

"Is that your name?"

"It's as good as anything else." 

Rey looked passed Kylo, seeing the forest behind him had darkened so much it was almost nothing but blackness. She ceased circling, not wanting to get close to the darkness. Thankfully, Kylo also paused in his movements.

"What was the proposition you had?" Rey asked, curious. 

"The pilot, the traitor, the droid and the Teedo can leave, unharmed. The old man stays. Unfortunately for him, my Elders are quite anxious to meet him," Kylo said. He crossed his arms, taking a few steps towards her. Every instinct screamed at Rey to move away but she remained still. 

"And what about me?" Rey asked, eyes narrowing. 

"If you want your friends to go free then you have to stay here with me, forever." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Forbidden Games by L.J Smith, References  
> Book 1 - The Hunter
> 
> "Is that your name?"
> 
> "It's as good as anything else." 
> 
> \- Page 60. 
> 
> Star Wars, The Force Awakens Novelisation - "Simple Ignorances are easy to remedy."

**Author's Note:**

> The Forbidden Games by L.J Smith, References  
> Book 1 - The Hunter
> 
> Book Quote - Page 48  
> About The Shadow Men - Page 210  
> Shadow Men being referred to as Erlking, kinda - 124  
> The Runes - Page 61 (more info on page 203), Nauthiz, Page 241  
> Can't take things without permission (can't touch you unless they have permission) - Page 102 - 103
> 
> Everything about The Shadow Men is from The Forbidden Game, The Hunter, by L.J Smith. These are the main points. I might go back and add more references if I've noticed I've missed any. xx


End file.
